Socratic Seminar: Supporting Claims and Counterclaims

Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts,
using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

a. Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or
opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear
relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.

b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each
while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that
anticipates the audience's knowledge level and concerns.

c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text,
create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons,
between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.

d. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to
the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.

e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports
the argument presented.

Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts,
using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

a. Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or
opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear
relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.

b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each
while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that
anticipates the audience's knowledge level and concerns.

c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text,
create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons,
between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.

d. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to
the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.

e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports
the argument presented.

TEACHING CHANNEL / SOCRATIC SEMINAR
INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTINA PROCTER
CHRISTINA PROCTER:
Hi, I'm Christina Proctor. I’m a 10th grade teacher at the High School for Arts, Imagination, and Inquiry, and I like to use the Socratic seminar to help students understand how they can develop claims and counterclaims, and address these in spoken argument. Part of the new national standards is that students are able to write about their claim but also address counterclaims in their writing, and I find a powerful way to get students to really understand why they're doing it is to get them to do it in spoken debate first.
(class)
Take a look, you've got three topics on the front, four on the back.
(interview)
I give them a very basic structure for brainstorming. They simply have a topic and a statement or a question, and then they're asked to, in one column, brainstorm their claim, and then take bullet-point notes on that claim and also evidence. And then the next column is for them to anticipate any counterclaims, to be able to present them and refute them, or to be able to argue against them. The last column of the sheet is for the students who are especially quiet, who are not going to participate, that they're taking notes on the most interesting points.
STUDENT 1:
The majority of society will still go with the government, but there's always going to be rebels.
CHRISTINA PROCTER:
In this case, we've been reading Persepolis, and they're asked about issues like, should a person absolutely fight for justice in their life? Why are some governments oppressive? Why are some societies more oppressed than others?
STUDENT 2:
It’s like, something about how, like, some societies, how they fold to oppression of government, you know, like, so I think they should -- we should become educated and aware of our surroundings, so we can fight the government.
CHRISTINA PROCTER:
Not everyone is comfortable sitting in the middle of the room, but the team method for this is that they are discussing first as their team and then sending one or two representatives to the middle. So as I’m circulating the room, that time is sometimes even more important than the debate that takes place later, because I’m making sure that all of the students are talking about these issues and taking notes. And then they send forth the representative to the middle, and that's where the debate starts. That’s the time when the teacher really becomes silent, and that's the beautiful part of the lesson, when the students are simply talking.
STUDENT 3:
I wanted to start off with number one: is it possible for a government to control the people? I put yes but not completely, because there always will be examples, like there will always be rebels. For example, in history, heterics [sic?], they always went against the nobles.
STUDENT 4:
I agree with Pearla. They are gonna control us, 'cause even now that we have, like, we can do pretty much whatever we want but they still control us, 'cause you can't do drugs and you can't kill people.
CHRISTINA PROCTER:
You can only speak if you've got the talking piece, the squirrel in this case, and when someone else wants to talk they kind of reach for it.
STUDENT 5:
I agree with both Pearla and Lucas. I think that the government really can control the people, because in the book Persepolis, the shah controlled the people with social classes and by killing the protestors who rebelled against him.
CHRISTINA PROCTER:
The idea's that the groups tap out their representative, so there's one chair per group per team, and the teams are mandated to tap someone out at least once. The idea is that you increase participation. So the team who sends every member in gets an extra point.
STUDENT 6:
Yeah, I agree with you, 'cause the governments started noticing the people when they started using violence, and that's when they started to do something.
CHRISTINA PROCTER:
Awarding the participants points does kind of help them pay attention to the finer points of the discussion. One of the problems we saw across the boards in our classes is that students weren't respectfully disagreeing or respectfully presenting their ideas, but I find that giving them the language very specifically and giving them a point for using those phrases helps them capture that style and take it as their own.
STUDENT 6:
I understand what you're saying but I respectfully disagree.
CHRISTINA PROCTER:
They get points for making a unique claim, for referring to specific evidence in the book, and for also being able to anticipate and disprove a counterclaim before giving their own.
STUDENT 7:
So the question is, it's unacceptable, right? I think it shouldn't be used, but I think if it comes to a breaking point, it should be acceptable, 'cause there's always an extreme point. You know, in the French Revolution, like when the people couldn't take it no more, like they were just so oppressed, they had to resort to the violence.
CHRISTINA PROCTER:
To finish the lesson, I like to have them go back to their teams and talk about what was the most interesting idea they heard, and then I like to ask them what they think made the debate successful.
STUDENT 8:
I think that what makes a Socratic seminar successful is the level of maturity and respect and keeping an open mind...
CHRISTINA PROCTER:
I think Socratic seminar is a good way to help students develop their ideas with evidence, but also to think about the opposing idea and to always be ready to refute it.
* * *END OF AUDIO* * *
* * *END OF TRANSCRIPT* * *